`` Sport has the power to change the world , '' Nelson Mandela once said -- and the South African prisoner-turned-president also provided perhaps the most eloquent supporting evidence for his claim .

`` It has the power to inspire , '' he said . `` It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does . Sport can create hope where once there was only despair . It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers . ''

That last sentence was the closest Mandela came to referencing his own role in using sport to unify South Africa , a country that had been separated by skin color and the warped political ideology of apartheid for nearly half a century by the time he became its first black president in 1994 .

A year after winning South Africa 's first multiracial elections , and five years after his release from prison after nearly three decades of incarceration for his anti-apartheid activities , the then-African National Congress leader revealed his acute political antennae as South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup .

The sport had long been seen as the white man 's game in South Africa , and many non-whites identified the national team , the Springboks , as being synonymous with minority rule . The team 's antelope emblem had been proudly worn by the country 's whites-only sporting teams during apartheid .

As the onetime pariah state found itself in the unusual position of welcoming the world , there were widespread fears of a racial bloodbath . Some groups were keen to avenge the years of racial oppression , while some right-wing whites were plotting violent protests against the new black majority rule .

Despite their readmission in 1992 to international rugby , after years of apartheid-enforced sporting isolation , South Africa used home advantage so well that the debutants reached the World Cup final .

The sporting , political and human drama was told in John Carlin 's book `` Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation '' and was made into the movie `` Invictus , '' with Morgan Freeman playing Mandela .

Carlin tells the story of the moment on the day of the final when white South Africans took a man they once considered a terrorist into their hearts .

`` The day 's crowning moment came before the game had even begun , when Mandela went out onto the field , before a crowd of 65,000 that was 95 % white , wearing the green Springbok jersey , the old symbol of oppression , beloved of his apartheid jailers , '' he wrote .

`` There was a moment of jaw-dropping disbelief , a sharp collective intake of breath , and suddenly the crowd broke into a chant , which grew steadily louder , of ` Nelson ! Nelson ! Nelson ! ' ''

Two hours later , the day 's images adopted iconic status as the `` Rainbow Nation '' beat New Zealand to win the tournament , precipitating widespread celebrations , increased harmony and a mixture of both pride and hope to a South Africa in desperate need of reconciliation .

The photo of team captain Francois Pienaar receiving the trophy from Mandela , who was wearing the No. 6 jersey associated with the Springboks ' Afrikaner skipper , now takes a place of pride at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg .

Nonetheless , Dr. Ashwin Desai , a university lecturer , sociologist and specialist in South Africa 's racial history , believes that the impact of the moment was short-lived and began to crumble within a few months of the final .

`` The Rainbow Nation and Mandela 's legacy was supposed to be about the erosion of racial categories , but that has not happened , '' said Desai . `` This idea that sport can harmonize a nation is a cliché that South Africans use -- but we also know that sport can divide . The kindest thing to say about the dream of the Rainbow Nation is that it has been deferred -- more realistically though , the dream has been shattered . What we have now is deepening racial division , with racial categories being pre-eminent again . ''

Yet one of the most celebrated pages in modern race relations would never have been written had Mandela not saved the Springbok emblem , which was labeled `` deeply offensive '' by the National Sport Council in the mid-1990s because of its use in the racially divisive past .

Recognizing that whites had lost both their national flag and the elevated status of their national anthem , Mandela understood their need to retain some identity -- and so the pacifier persuaded his colleagues that the Springboks ' survival was key to building the new South Africa .

Mandela won the argument despite the Springboks ' history of breaking the international sporting ban that the ANC had successfully forced on many South African teams during apartheid .

Even though he had backed the boycott from his prison cell on Robben Island , Mandela was aware of the sacrifices imposed on his nation 's best sportsmen .

`` I wanted my people to know that I became president sooner because of the sacrifices made by our athletes during the years of the boycott , '' he replied when asked why he was at a soccer match involving South Africa , rather than a politically themed event , shortly after his inauguration in May 1994 .

Two years later , Mandela and South Africa repeated the trick -- this time with soccer , the game that was the main preserve of the country 's black community .

With Mandela now draped in the football jersey , South Africa used home soil to win the Africa Cup of Nations , the continent 's premier football event , at the first time of asking .

Yet Mandela 's true football legacy came when South Africa was awarded the honor of staging the 2010 World Cup finals , beating favorites Morocco 14-10 in the final vote .

`` The presence of Mandela when we were making our bid was very , very powerful , '' said Desai . `` We were up against some big , powerful nations , such as Morocco and Egypt , so to beat off Morocco meant there had to be an extra player on the team -- and certainly the major game-changer was Mandela . ''

`` It is thanks to Mandela that the world could finally trust us to deliver this event at a world class level , '' Danny Jordaan told the FIFA website . `` He gave us a momentum and self-belief that we could achieve what many thought was impossible and we , and this country , will be forever grateful . ''

Despite a personal tragedy on the eve of the finals -- his great-granddaughter Zenani , 13 , died in a car crash -- Mandela was ultimately rewarded with a tournament that shone with color , originality and , to widespread surprise outside South Africa , fine organization .

Within Africa , many said they felt an increased sense of belonging as the football World Cup , which dates back to 1930 , finally arrived in Africa -- the first time the continent had hosted a global event on the scale of the Olympics .

FIFA President Sepp Blatter hailed Mandela as an `` extraordinary person '' on Thursday and recalled the ecstatic scenes at the 2010 World Cup 's closing ceremony in what proved to be Mandela 's final public appearance .

`` When he was honored and cheered by the crowd at Johannesburg 's Soccer City stadium on 11 July 2010 , it was as a man of the people , a man of their hearts , and it was one of the most moving moments I have ever experienced . For him , the World Cup in South Africa truly was ' a dream come true , ' '' Blatter said in a statement on FIFA 's website .

`` Nelson Mandela will stay in our hearts forever . The memories of his remarkable fight against oppression , his incredible charisma and his positive values will live on in us and with us . ''

Former South African international , Lucas Radebe also paid a moving tribute .

`` The sports history books in South Africa will show statistics and victories . What they wo n't show , however , was that it was Madiba Magic that forged those results and performances ; and united a country and its people along the way . No doubt , that Madiba Magic will live on . Thank you Tata , '' Radebe wrote on his website .

This sense of belonging is one that Mandela maintained with his foundation , the Nelson Mandela Children 's Fund , which started the Sport for Good program with the aim of using sport as a way of improving the lives of children in both South Africa and Swaziland .

This sporting philosophy had served Mandela himself exceptionally well during his time in prison . In his biography , `` A Long Walk to Freedom , '' he explained how he followed a highly disciplined exercise regime in a bid to stay both physically and mentally healthy .

`` I have always believed that exercise is a key not only to physical health , but to peace of mind , '' wrote the once-keen boxer and long-distance runner . `` Exercise dissipates tension , and tension is the enemy of serenity . ''

`` In prison , having an outlet for my frustrations was absolutely essential . Even on the island , I attempted to follow my old boxing routine of doing roadwork and muscle-building from Monday to Thursday and then resting for the next three days . ''

The efficacy of his discipline -- which also included 45 minutes of running `` on the spot in my cell '' and extensive anaerobic exercise four times a week -- was clear to see in the energy he brought to life as a free man -- keeping together the fragile , new South Africa , visiting world leaders and becoming one of the political icons of our time .

After 27 years behind bars , where he was allowed just one visitor a year , perhaps it was only fair that the world then came to visit Mandela in later years -- with Pele , Muhammad Ali , Joe Frazier , Alex Ferguson , Tiger Woods and David Beckham prominent among the sporting luminaries to meet the icon .

Like the wider world , sport is unlikely to forget Mandela , not just because of the tournaments and stadiums already named in his honor , but primarily for a day in 1995 when the anti-apartheid activist stole the show during the defeat of a team called , ironically enough , the All Blacks .

Read more : Nelson Mandela 's legacy : How soccer club fell for Africa

Read more : D'Oliveira : The man who took on the apartheid regime

Read more : Pienaar recalls day Mandela transformed South Africa

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As a youth , Mandela was a boxer and long-distance runner

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As president of South Africa , he helped bring world attention to his country through sports

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`` Sport has the power to change the world , '' Mandela said

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Mandela was a major factor in South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup finals